Shades of Purple
by The Midnight Murk
Summary: A mysterious new foe menaces the Avengers, using Black Panther to aid him in carrying out a diabolical plan that puts the entire world in jeopardy. The highly anticipated second chapter of this thrilling adventure, "The Black Panther Strikes!," is finally available! Time stamps have also been added! Author would like to thank his readers for their patience and continued support!
1. Prologue

**New York City, New York**

**September 2, 23:21 UTC**

The Black Panther swiftly leapt from rooftop to rooftop, briefly yet thoroughly scanning the New York City streets for any sort of trouble that might warrant an Avenger's help. It was Friday night, usually the most active night for crime, but tonight was a quiet night. The only threat he'd faced so far was a mugger with a gun – trying to pull of the typical "rob a vulnerable woman walking home alone in a dark alley" crime.

Panther was always assigned Friday night patrol duty, as the other Avengers were rarely available on Friday nights. Tony was usually working late at Stark Industries, so he could avoid the need to take his work home over the weekend. Hank was usually working in his lab. Janet was usually partying, of course. Thor often spent the weekend visiting his family in Asgard (a routine that developed shortly after Loki's near-conquest of the nine realms). Steve and Clint were usually assigned out of town missions, and then there was the Hulk, who didn't have an assigned patrol duty night. Hulk usually helped out whoever was currently on patrol, as he wasn't trusted to do much on his own. The team rarely even knew where he was. The Black Panther was the perfect hero for Friday night duty, as, being from another country, Panther rarely had anything to do with his time besides fight crime. Furthermore, he enjoyed getting time alone. Black Panther, more of a loner than Hulk, was very quiet and usually kept to himself. Unlike the other Avengers, he preferred to patrol New York City alone.

Nonetheless, Black Panther was highly skilled – probably more so than at least half the team. The Avengers knew they could trust him, despite the usual lack of much communication between the Panther and his teammates. Black Panther was very independent and could handle almost anything on his own, but what awaited the unsuspecting hero tonight was a threat that would pose a new level of danger.

Just as he was almost ready to retire to the mansion for the night, Panther heard a clatter, so faint that only someone with superior Wakandan hearing like himself could detect it, coming from directly below him. He looked down to see that he was standing on the rooftop of Big Apple Bank, which was being robbed. Black Panther was excited. He finally had something fun to do. The Panther, liking to do everything in a very neat and precise manner, used his claws to carve a hole in the roof, just large enough so that he could squeeze through it. Black Panther did just that, landing on his feet.

Panther followed the faint noises his superior hearing picked up, which led him to the bank's vault .It was being quickly emptied by, to the Panther's surprise, two costumed supervillains – Whirlwind and Griffin. Both of these villains had escaped the supervillain prison known as the Big House during what Iron Man said was referred to as "the breakout." Ultimately revealed to have been caused by Thor's evil half-brother, Loki, the breakout was an event where the four major supervillain prisons around the country suddenly malfunctioned and released all their prisoners. A total of 74 villains escaped. More than half of these villains were still at large. Whirlwind and Griffin were two of the escaped villains who hadn't yet been recaptured. Panther briefly pondered the reason why two powerful supervillains would resort to robbing a bank. At least he'd be able to single-handedly recapture two more of the escaped prisoners. Iron Man would certainly be glad.

Taking advantage of the two villains not having noticed his presence, Panther threw four of his vibranium claws at the bags in their hands, which were being quickly filled with money. The claws hit the bottoms of the bags, ripping holes in them and consequently causing the money in them to begin rapidly pouring out. This caught the villains' attention and they turned around to see the Black Panther standing only a few feet away from them.

"I apologize for spoiling your Friday night outing, but this money does not belong to either of you," Panther told the two super-powered robbers.

"An Avenger," exclaimed Whirlwind, "but where are your friends? I'd hardly call this a fair fight."

"I don't need my teammates to take care of you two," Panther said confidently.

"We'll see about that," said Griffin as he became airborne and flew at the Panther's torso. Simultaneously, Whirlwind began spinning in Panther's direction.

Unfortunately for Griffin, the Black Panther's reflexes were too quick. Just before Griffin hit him, Panther jumped into the air and landed on Griffin's back.

"Hey, get off me," cried Griffin in shock.

Griffin began to lose concentration and control of his flight, almost running into a wall. He turned just before hitting the wall and began flying in the direction of the vault. Griffin tried to stop himself, but it was too late. Panther jumped off of him just before he entered the vault and dealt Griffin one final kick that sent him crashing into vault. Before Griffin could come to his senses, Panther slammed the vault's door shut – locking Griffin in.

"Hey! Let me outta here," Panther heard a muffled voice from behind the vault's door cry. "Whirlwind, you gotta help me!"

Panther then turned his attention to Whirlwind, who was spinning closer and closer to him. Panther quickly dove out of the way, landing about fifteen feet away from Whirlwind, and threw two vibranium claws at his spinning foe – hitting Whirlwind in the head and knocking him off his feet.

"The Wakandan elders are more formidable foes than you," Panther taunted.

Whirlwind replied with an angry grunt as he stood up and started spinning again. Black Panther saw thousands of dollar bills fly through the air as Whirlwind spun at him. Panther attempted to hit him with more vibranium claws, but Whirlwind was spinning faster and with more rage than before. The claws were deflected and flew back at Panther, who dodged all but one of them – which hit his chest, tearing through both his costume and his skin. Panther was surprised by the sting of the claw. He saw a drop of blood trickle out of a cut left by the claw. Panther tried not to lose focus on the task at hand. He'd deal with his injuries later. Whirlwind's spinning was generating powerful winds from ten feet away. The winds almost knocked Black Panther off his feet, making it difficult to quickly run away from the spinning supervillain – who would reach Panther in a matter of seconds. Thinking fast, Panther jumped up and grabbed onto a ceiling fan. Whirlwind immediately began spinning his arms like helicopter rotors and became airborne.

"Thought you could get away that easily? I'm insulted," said Whirlwind.

"You are misguided, my friend," retorted Panther. "If you are spinning your arms trying to keep yourself airborne, you can neither spin nor protect the rest of your body."

Before Whirlwind could do more than display shock from the sudden realization, Panther dove at him and kicked him in the face. Whirlwind fell to the ground.

"Are you done yet?" Panther asked as he landed on the ground.

"I am, but you're not," replied Whirlwind.

Panther was confused, but this confusion didn't last long. He was soon knocked to the ground by a powerful blow to the back of his head from a crowbar. In too much pain to stand, Panther turned onto his back to try to get a look at the person who just attacked him, but his vision was blurred. All Panther could see was a tall, skinny, menacing man. Whirlwind was standing next to him. Panther's eyes began to feel heavy, and subsequently the feeling of heaviness spread to the rest of his body. Everything was going black – as black as his costume.

"The first stage of the plan is complete," Panther heard the mysterious figure mumble in a solemn tone. The last thing he heard before completely losing consciousness was a quiet, calm, evil chuckle – giving Panther the impression that, whoever this was, he was certainly much more formidable than the Wakandan elders.


	2. Introducing the Psycho Prism!

**Abandoned Warehouse**

**New York City, New York**

**August 30, 09:00 UTC**

"Are you tired of failed attempts at world domination? If you often find yourself feeling like super-powered heroes, peacekeeping organizations, or armed forces are getting in your way, we have the perfect solution to your problems. From the creators of some of the Advanced Idea Mechanics' finest devices, such as the Cosmic Cube, I bring you the Psycho-Prism," MODOC said in as appealing of a tone as a mental organism designed only for conquest could possibly produce. MODOC often found himself feeling like a television salesperson.

"I am interested. Tell me more," said Lucia von Bardas, a vile Latverian cyborg. This was the second time she had attempted a negotiation with A.I.M., the first having been prevented by the meddling armored playboy Iron Man.

Lucia and MODOC were in the middle of a scheduled conference in an abandoned warehouse. Lucia was representing a client of whom she was "not at liberty to reveal the name." She had contacted A.I.M. a few weeks ago and requested a device capable of conquering the world through abnormal means. MODOC, the leader of A.I.M., promptly arranged a conference with von Bardas and instructed his agents to begin working on a device. It took twenty-three days to complete production of the Psycho-Prism, a device that was both extremely powerful and extremely expensive.

"The Psycho-Prism, designed by some of the best A.I.M. agents, is capable of reaching deep into one's mind, taking advantage of their mental insecurities and weaknesses, and seizing control over their brain. Anyone who poses a threat to you can be easily mind-controlled using this device. With the Psycho-Prism in your hands, you will be able to control your victim's every thought and action. They will be completely at your mercy. You could use your victims as pawns, minions who could do your dirty work…or you could simply use the Psycho-Prism to keep your enemies in check and out of your way while you proceed to conquer the world or one or more territories within it."

"I see…a rather useful device. Imagine the power one would be able to harness with something like this handy. I am sure my client will be eager to have it. I will discuss this with him and get back to you." Lucia attempted to maintain her composure and professional attitude, although just the thought of such power made her feel as excited as a young child on Christmas morning.

"However, please be aware that the price of the Psycho-Prism is not a small one. Such a powerful device would, of course, cost at least five million dollars."

"Five million dollars? That is quite expensive. While my boss and I are very interested in doing business with A.I.M., I am not sure how much my boss is willing to pay for a device that has not been proven to have successful results. Perhaps you could lower your price just a small amount."

"I am sorry, but the price is a firm one. I would not be likely to change it. You must remember that there are many other villains who would love to have a device like the Psycho-Prism at their clutches. You and your client are privileged to have the opportunity to own such a powerful device. However, if you are not interested, I will present the device to another villain desperate for a way to achieve world domination."

These days, A.I.M. was desperate for business. MODOC was not about to change the price of this device on which his agents had worked so diligently, but he wasn't sure if there really were many villains out there who would be willing to pay so much for a device from A.I.M. after the incident that had recently occurred between A.I.M. and HYDRA over the Cosmic Cube.

"You are misunderstanding me, MODOC. I am not saying that I refuse to pay the price, but the Psycho-Prism has yet to be tested. Who is to say that I am not at risk of paying five million dollars for a product that does not even work properly."

"Ah, I see. You would like a demonstration. A.I.M. would be happy to oblige. Luckily, I brought the device with us." MODOC turned to the A.I.M. agents standing behind him. "Boys, bring out the Psycho-Prism."

Lucia watched as four A.I.M. agents walked into the small pod in which MODOC and his men had arrived at the warehouse and came out holding a prism-shaped device being covered by a purple cloth. The device must have been heavy, as it took both of each man's hands to carry it.

"I now present to you…the Psycho-Prism!" exclaimed MODOC with much excitement in his voice as he pulled the purple cloth off to reveal a surprisingly small fluorescent purple prism. Lucia wondered how something so small could be so difficult for four seemingly brawny men to carry.

"Prepare for the first demonstration," MODOC said confidently as the four agents handed the prism to him. Barely able to hold the bulky prism, MODOC turned to one of his agents and held it right next to his face.

The prism began to glow even more than before. Lucia found herself covering her eyes. In less than a minute, the glowing ceased.

"Now," MODOC told the agent seemingly under the effects of the Psycho-Prism, "fire your blaster at that A.I.M. agent standing right next to you."

"What? Wait. No, you can't do this, Mr. MODOC," cried the A.I.M. agent at whom MODOC had instructed the other agent (under the effects of the Psycho-Prism) to fire the blaster. "I've always been your best agent. Don't do thi-Aaaahhhh!"

The man's desperate pleas were cut off by a shot from the other agent's blaster, which knocked him to the ground, unconscious.

"See how he was willing to shoot a co-worker without hesitation? The Psycho-Prism is very powerful. He didn't have a bit of control over himself. His mind was completely at my mercy. Whoever holds this prism possesses the power of complete, absolute control over any living being he or she chooses to use the prism on," MODOC said proudly.

As MODOC proceeded to ramble on about the pure brilliance of A.I.M.'s creation, Lucia entered a telepathic conversation with her boss via a device implanted in her head.

"What do you think?" Lucia asked her boss.

"I like it, but the price is simply too high," Lucia heard her boss say. "If you cannot convince the mental organism to lower the price, perhaps you will have to do so yourself. Give it…the supervillain discount – one hundred percent off!" Lucia then heard her boss chuckle vilely.

The telepathic conversation ended. As Lucia began contemplating a way to take the Psycho-Prism, another villain was watching the scene from the rooftop of the abandoned warehouse.

* * *

><p>"A very interesting little device, isn't it?" one voice asked.<p>

"Yes, very intriguing. It must possess some kind of foreign material," another voice said.

"True," the first voice agreed. "Such a powerful device could not be created by any substance already known to man. These 'Advanced Idea Mechanics' must possess some very rare and advanced technology."

"Yes, yes, they must," established the second voice. "Shall we steal it now?"

* * *

><p>"Now, shall we make the transaction?" MODOC asked Lucia.<p>

Before Lucia could respond, she heard a loud "boom" and looked up to see that someone had broken through the ceiling. Her first thought was that the Avengers or S.H.I.E.L.D. had found them – or, even worse, both of the above. As Lucia prepared to grab the prism and run, she realized that it was neither the Avengers nor S.H.I.E.L.D. It was a monster with two heads stacked on top of each other.

"It's the Bi-Beast," hollered MODOC. "You are interrupting a very important transaction. You are advised to leave immediately, or we will take aggressive action against you."

"We do not have time for foolishness. We are only here for the Psycho-Prism," said Bi-Beast's top head.

"The Psycho-Prism is property of A.I.M. and a very delicate, powerful weapon. You may not have it unless you are able to pay the price," MODOC said defensively.

"Why should we have to pay the price when we have the brute strength needed to take it from you?" asked Bi-Beast's bottom head. Without waiting for an answer, Bi-Beast jumped off the roof and dove at MODOC.

"Boys, take care of this animal at all costs," MODOC cried nervously.

The A.I.M agents immediately surrounded MODOC and began firing their blasters at Bi-Beast, although the shots didn't leave a mark on him.

"Your infantile weapons do not harm us. We possess superior strength and agility. However, you will now see how effortlessly we can harm you," said Bi-Beast's top head as the beast landed on the floor and slammed its fists down, causing a vibration that knocked the A.I.M. agents to the ground.

"If you would like to do this the hard way, I would be more than happy to oblige," MODOC, whose hover chair prevented the vibration from knocking him to the ground, said as he began to shoot psionic blasts at the Bi-Beast, who was surprised to be harmed by them. "Surrender now and I will permit you to leave with your life."

"Noooooo!" both of Bi-Beast's heads shrieked as it charged at MODOC faster than a rhino.

MODOC continued to fire psionic blasts, but Bi-Beast's rage appeared to be preventing the monster from feeling the blasts' full effects. In a matter of seconds, the Bi-Beast slammed into MODOC, knocking him to the ground. The Psycho-Prism went flying.

"No!" MODOC exclaimed. "The Psycho-Prism is worth millions of dollars and is extremely fragile. If it hits the ground, it will break into a million pieces. A.I.M. will lose valuable time and money spent on the construction of the prism."

Seconds before the prism hit the ground, out of nowhere a woman in a white and black costume with a mask that reminded MODOC of a bird's face swooped down and grabbed the prism right before it hit the ground. While MODOC knew she wasn't an Avenger, he recognized the costume that could even provoke a supervillain to "make a move" on her. It was the S.H.I.E.L.D. special ops agent Mockingbird!

"Gotcha!" exclaimed Mockingbird. Mockingbird's moment of glory came to an abrupt end when she looked up to see an angry beast glaring at her. "Uh-oh! You want this thingy, don't ya?"

"It would be in your best interest to hand over the prism without resistance," said Bi-Beast's bottom head.

Suddenly two objects flew out from behind Bi-Beast – an arrow and a shield. The shield hit Bi-Beast in the bottom head and, like a boomerang, flew back to its owner. The arrow stuck to the beast's back and, in a matter of seconds, exploded – sending Bi-Beast hurtling into a nearby wall. MODOC, who was lying on the floor next to Bi-Beast's foot, went hurtling a few feet and landed on the ground. He watched the shield as it flew back into the left hand of Captain America, who was standing atop a large stack of boxes. Standing right beside Cap was Hawkeye, already aiming three arrows and his bow. MODOC remembered Hawkeye, who had once interrupted a conference between HYDRA and A.I.M. regarding the Cosmic Cube.

"I'll take the beast. You handle MODOC and his army," Captain America instructed Hawkeye.

"You got it, old man," Hawkeye said in compliance before jumping off the stack of boxes, aiming his arrow (an electric one), and firing it at a nearby A.I.M. agent, who was immediately electrocuted and fell to the ground when the arrow hit his chest.

"We did not come here to engage in battle. We want the Psycho-Prism," said Bi-Beast's bottom head as he stood up and charged at Mockingbird.

"Cap, get over here," called Mockingbird tensely.

Captain America jumped off the stack of boxes and, while in mid-air, hummed his shield at Bi-Beast. The shield hit Bi-Beast right in between his two heads. Both of Bi-Beast's heads let out a painful cry in unison. The shield flew back to Captain America, who swiftly caught it.

"Mockingbird, get that prism to safety," Cap commanded.

"Aye-aye, Capt'n," Mockingbird said as she flew away.

"We had hoped to avoid the need to resort to violence, but you leave us without a choice," said Bi-Beast's top head as he charged at Captain America.

Captain America held his shield in front of his torso, prepared to fight. Bi-Beast stopped one foot in front of him and kicked him, sending him flying twenty feet into a nearby wall. He stood up and rubbed the back of his head, which was throbbing. Bi-Beast charged at Cap once again, this time jumping into the air about ten feet away from him and landing right on top of the Captain.

"We will squash you like a bug," both of Bi-Beast's heads said at once as he slammed one of his feet into Captain America's chest.

Captain America tried to push the foot off, but couldn't. He reached for and grabbed his shield, which was about a foot away from him, and hummed it at Bi-Beast's head. The shield hit Bi-Beast's bottom head, causing him to lose focus. While Bi-Beast was recovering from the shock, Captain America lifted his foot up and rolled out from under it. He stood up, caught his shield as it hurtled back to him, and charged bravely at the beast, but Bi-Beast's reflexes were too quick. He grabbed Captain America and lifted him off the ground. Captain America struggled to break free, but Bi-Beast's grasp was too powerful. He began squeezing Cap, who began to have trouble breathing. Everything was starting to go black.

Hawkeye was surrounded by twelve A.I.M agents, each of whom aiming blasters at him.

"Okay, who wants to go first?" Hawkeye asked, trying to disguise the fear in his voice.

"Thirteen against one, Avenger," MODOC boasted to Hawkeye as he hovered by to join the horde of A.I.M. agents surrounding the archer.

"I know. This isn't a fair fight. The odds are against you," Hawkeye retorted. He quickly aimed and shot three electric arrows simultaneously. Each arrow hit a different A.I.M. agent.

"Destroy him," screamed MODOC.

Hawkeye was too fast for the agents, who immediately began to fire their blasters at him. He quickly jumped into the air and, while in mid-air, shot three more arrows. Each arrow hit a different agent, causing the agent to suddenly shrink down to a microscopic size.

"I call those Pym Particles arrows – a little something Hank Pym helped me design," Hawkeye told MODOC and the remaining, confused A.I.M. agents. "I'd watch out if I were you guys. Wouldn't wanna step on your coworkers, would you?"

"Fire your blasters at him," MODOC commanded, "at _all_ costs."

"No, boss, no! Please, don't hurt us," screamed the three shrunken A.I.M agents, but they were too small for their desperate pleas to be heard.

The six remaining agents quickly began to fire their blasters. Hawkeye used his bow to deflect their shots, sending them back at the agents and knocking their blasters out of their hands. Hawkeye was sure at least one of those falling blasters had hit a shrunken A.I.M agent.

"Ready to give up yet, or ya wanna continue fighting?" Hawkeye asked MODOC triumphantly. "Please say 'continue fighting.'"

"Retreat, but, first, get me the Psycho-Prism," MODOC commanded his agents. The agents began to run away, and MODOC turned to face Hawkeye.

"Not so fast," said Hawkeye as he fired a three rocket smoke arrows, which created a huge smoke screen to slow down the A.I.M agents. While the agents were recovering, Hawkeye would quickly handle MODOC.

"This will be the last time you interfere with an A.I.M. transaction."

"Oh, yeah? We'll see about that!"

Hawkeye fired a blunt arrow at MODOC, who quickly destroyed it before it reached him with a psionic beam.

"It is obvious that you have underestimated me, archer."

MODOC pressed a button on his hover chair that caused two lasers to come out of the left and right sides of it. The lasers began firing at Hawkeye. He dodged most of the beams, but a few did manage to hit him – singing holes in his costume and leaving painful burns where they hit him. Hawkeye quickly fired two rocket acid arrows at MODOC's two lasers, which both hit and disintegrated their targets.

"No! You will _not_ defeat me! I am designed only for conquest!"

"Really? 'Cuz I thought you were designed only for kicks."

Hawkeye shot another arrow at MODOC.

"You have not yet realized that your little arrows are no match for me? I thought you would put up more of a fight." MODOC quickly destroyed the arrow with another psionic beam.

"You know, for someone who claims to have superhuman intellect, I thought you'd know better than to fall for my trick. I wanted you to shot that arrow, genius."

"Oh no." MODOC realized that, by shooting the arrow, he'd released a gigantic net, which was going to hit him in about three seconds. MODOC tried to run, but the net caught him, wrapping fully around his body three times.

"Wow, you're smaller than I'd realized," Hawkeye said with a chuckle as he walked over to his helpless prisoner.

"Release me at once, you fool!"

"I wouldn't be calling the man who's about to finish you off a fool." Hawkeye

pulled an electric arrow from his quiver and slammed it against the top of MODOC's head.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh," MODOC screamed as the arrow electrocuted him.

Hawkeye threw the defeated MODOC to the ground and, without stopping to bask in the glory of winning the battle against MODOC, turned his attention to the escaping A.I.M. agents – who had recovered from the smoke screen.

Hawkeye immediately fired a putty arrow, which hit the ground next to three running A.I.M. agents' feet, releasing and covering the three agents in a mound of sticky putty. The men struggled to get free, but the putty would barely allow them to budge. Hawkeye then fired four rocket bola arrows at two more running A.I.M agents (two at each agent), entangling both their arms and feet and causing them to trip and fall to the ground. Hawkeye did a quick count of the defeated A.I.M. agents and realized that there was one left. Hawkeye scanned the warehouse, but the agent was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, he saw Captain America flying through the air. He hit a nearby wall with a thud. Then, Hawkeye saw Bi-Beast furiously race towards Captain America and slam into him as Cap was attempting to stand up – sending Cap flying out of the warehouse. Bi-Beast didn't stop there. He continued to charge at Captain America. Hawkeye figured that the Captain would need his help, as opposed to Mockingbird, who appeared to be handling Lucia von Bardas just fine.

"You do know that MODOC's known for selling dud weapons?" Mockingbird asked Lucia.

"I am well aware of A.I.M.'s less than perfect buyer satisfaction history," Lucia replied, "but my boss believes that a few minor adjustments to the prism will give it a notable amount of potential."

"And just how do you plan to make those adjustments when I've got the prism in my hands?"

"By doing _this_!" Lucia's robotic hand punched Mockingbird right in the face as forcefully as it could, sending her flying back into a nearby stack of boxes.

"That's gonna leave a mark," Mockingbird said as she rubbed her back, which was in severe pain, with the hand that wasn't holding the prism. As she began to stand up, Mockingbird realized that the shadow of the large stack of boxes appeared to be moving. She looked up and saw that the boxes were about to fall on her.

"Uh oh."

The boxes continued to tip over and, within seconds were in mid-air. Mockingbird thought it was the end. However, seconds before the first box hit her, a force field suddenly surrounded Mockingbird. She was shocked. Mockingbird watched from inside the field as hundreds of boxes clanged against it and hit the ground. When the last box hit the ground, the field disappeared. Confused, Mockingbird looked up to see Lucia von Bardas, who was in mid-air, landing on the ground.

"So why'd you just save me?" Mockingbird asked. "Sudden change of heart?"

"I wasn't trying to save you, you fool!" Lucia exclaimed, insulted by the thought of someone thinking she would do something so kind for one of her enemies. "I was trying to save the prism. Now hand it over, or I shall have to hurt you very badly. Actually, you will be hurt very badly either way, but I would prefer to not have to go through the trouble of taking the prism from you."

"Gee, I don't know what to choose. You make both choices sound so enticing." Mockingbird, setting the prism in between her ankles, pulled out both of her steel-alloy poles and attempted to hit Lucia with one, but Lucia grabbed the wrist that was holding the pole. Not giving up, Mockingbird quickly swung the other pole at Lucia, who also grabbed the wrist holding that pole.

"Care to give up now?" Lucia asked.

"Not yet," Mockingbird said, pressing a button on each of the poles that caused them to expand and connect, forming one eight-foot pole. She then lifted her feet, with the prism still between her ankles, off the ground and kicked Lucia in the torso, knocking her to the ground and causing her to slide about ten feet away.

Mockingbird used her pole as a vaulting pole, and landed feet-first on top of Lucia.

"Are _you_ ready to give up?" Mockingbird asked, resting the point of her pole on Lucia's chest as if to pin her down with it.

To Mockingbird's surprise, Lucia grabbed her ankles, lifted her up, and threw her. Mockingbird landed on her hands and flipped back onto her feet, with the Psycho-Prism still between her ankles.

"Looks like I'll have to take your toy away," Lucia said as she created a thin force field around Mockingbird's pole and expanded it so it would hit Mockingbird in the head, knocking her off her feet and causing her to drop the pole. Lucia then flew over to Mockingbird, grabbed her pole, ripped it into several pieces, and threw the pieces far away. "Maybe now you'll learn to play nicely with your things."

Mockingbird stood up, holding the prism in her hand once again. "Actually, Lucia, I don't think I've learned yet." Mockingbird hummed the prism about twenty feet away, causing it to fly out of the warehouse through the hole Bi-Beast had smashed in the wall.

"The prism," Lucia shouted, running after it.

Determined to prevent the cyborg from getting her hands on the prism, Mockingbird jumped onto her back and tackled her to the ground.

"Honey, that thing's probably in a million pieces by now."

"You fool! Do you realize the power the Psycho-Prism possesses? You _will_ pay for that!" Lucia created a force field around herself, expanded it and threw Mockingbird off of her.

Mockingbird hit the ground a few feet away from Lucia, who walked over to Mockingbird and grabbed her by the neck with one hand, squeezing it tightly, and lifted her into the air.

"You have never before experienced pain as intense as that which you are about to experience."

Outside the warehouse, Bi-Beast was mangling Captain America. Cap's costume was torn in several spots, he could not find his shield, he was bruised, he was bloody, and he had a black eye and a fat lip. Bi-Beast lifted him up by the foot. Cap felt the blood rushing to his head.

"You should have quit while you had the chance," the top head said menacingly.

"Agreed. Now, you will have to face death," added the bottom head.

"I'd rather die fighting than give up and allow the likes of you to get your hands on that prism," Captain America managed to say.

"Enough talk. Now, we end this," said the top head as Bi-Beast grabbed Cap's head and began to squeeze it tightly.

Suddenly, the Psycho-Prism flew out of the warehouse and hit Bi-Beast in the head. Seeing the prism about to hit the ground and break prompted the Bi-Beast to drop Captain America and run after it. Just as the Bi-Beast leapt into the air to grab it, one of Hawkeye's boomerang arrows flew through the air, caught the prism and flew back to Hawkeye.

"Gotcha!" Hawkeye exclaimed.

"Hand the device over," said Bi-Beast's bottom head.

"Over my dead body." Hawkeye quickly realized he shouldn't have said that when a menacing grin appeared on both of Bi-Beast's faces.

"Uh…you know that's just an expression? Right?"

Just as Bi-Beast prepared to charge at Hawkeye, both of his heads were sandwiched between two big, powerful green hands – the hands of the incredible Hulk!

"I feel a sudden foreboding that we shall not emerge victorious in this battle," said Bi-Beast's top head.

The Hulk began twirling the Bi-Beast around at the speed of light, holding him by the head, finally releasing him and sending him flying through the warehouse wall.

Lucia von Bardas slammed Mockingbird's body against the floor, putting both hands around her head and squeezing it with all her might.

"I am going to squeeze your head like an orange, until all the juice has come out," Lucia said threateningly.

Mockingbird had mentally and physically given up. This was the end. She was starting to imagine her eulogy when Bi-Beast crashed through the warehouse wall and, still flying rapidly, smashed into Lucia. The two continued to fly through the air, crashed through another warehouse wall, and landed on the ground about fifteen feet away from the warehouse.

"Get off me, you beast," cried Lucia. She generated a force field around herself and expanded it to push Bi-Beast off, who went flying back towards the warehouse.

Bi-Beast was caught by the Hulk, who wasn't finished with him.

"I remember you," Hulk told Bi-Beast with a growl. "You punched me a few years ago. Now, I'm gonna punch you…and it's gonna hurt real bad."

Both of Bi-Beast's heads closed their eyes and the Hulk proceeded to mangle the beast.

"Remind me never to get on Hulk's bad side," Hawkeye whispered to Captain America.

Lucia began to stand up, her head throbbing from being nearly squashed to death by Bi-Beast. After seeing the Psycho-Prism in Hawkeye's hand, she now had to decide if she should take on four superheroes, including one in critical condition and one angry enough to rip her head off if she did so much as to lay a finger on him. Lucia's decision was finalized when she saw the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier and the Avengers Quinjet approaching.

* * *

><p><strong>Avengers Mansion<strong>

**New York City, New York**

**August 30, 10:47 UTC**

Captain America had received medical attention and was resting in bed, Hawkeye was saying "good-bye" to Mockingbird, Iron Man was talking to Nick Fury via the Avengers' main computer's communication system, and the other Avengers were gathered around the Psycho-Prism in fascination.

"You sure you don't wanna stay with the Avengers?" Hawkeye hopefully asked Mockingbird.

"Sorry, Clint, but, right now, my place is at S.H.I.E.L.D. They need me."

"Okay." Hawkeye sighed. "But remember, the offer is a standing one. If you ever change your mind, we'd be happy to have you."

"Thanks, pal. Maybe one day. But for now, you stay outta trouble. You won't have me around to watch out for ya."

Hawkeye smiled. Mockingbird leaned close to him, preparing for a good-bye kiss, but Hawkeye stopped her.

"Sorry. I'm waiting for someone."

A balloon burst inside Mockingbird. She was disappointed and somewhat hurt, but tried not to let it show.

"Okay. I'm fine with that. See ya later." Mockingbird walked away.

"Yeah. Later." Hawkeye knew he'd disappointed Mockingbird. He tried to forget how he'd really wanted to kiss her. Hawkeye was already in love – with the Black Widow.

* * *

><p><strong>Elsewhere<strong>

**August 30, 12:04 UTC**

"Now, tell me everything," the escaped A.I.M. agent heard his boss say, "right from the beginning."

"Okay, but I might be here a while."

"That's fine. I just need to know _every_ little detail."

"Okay. They call it the Psycho-Prism."

The A.I.M. agent's boss smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Avengers Mansion, Computer Room<strong>

**New York City, New York**

**August 30, 14:38 UTC**

"Okay, Fury, when were you gonna tell me that MODOC escaped from prison? How long ago was this?" Iron Man was angry. Fury always tried to keep things from him and the Avengers. He just didn't seem to trust or respect them. Fury only called on the Avengers when he needed them.

"Calm down, Stark. It was only about a month ago.

"A month? _Only_ a month? This is getting ridiculous! You always shut us out of things, Fury. You need to stop treating the Avengers like some meddling kids. We've saved the world too many times to count on twelve hands! Actually, we've saved nine worlds. That's gotta count for something."

"Get a grip, Stark. If you want me to treat you and your Avengers like adults, then you need to start acting like one. Now we need to focus on the matter at hand. MODOC's back in prison. We'll work on how he escaped later. A.I.M. created a device that could have some real potential – the Psycho-Prism. MODOC claims it can control minds. And he was selling it to Lucia von Bardas, who supposedly had a boss. We need to figure out _who_ her boss is. And we need to figure out the full extent of the prism's power, exactly _how much_ it's capable of. Dr. Pym should be able to figure that out. For now, I'm placing the device in the Avengers' custody."

"Ooooo! I'm liking the sound of this."

"Stay focused, Stark. We don't have time for jokes."

"And what about the Bi-Beast? How'd he hear about the prism? I think there must be more to this than we think."

"I think so, too. And the strangest part is that we just tried to interrogate Bi-Beast. After a few medical check-ups, it's been determined that he didn't suffer from any serious injuries – no concussions, no amnesia, nothing. He's perfectly fine."

"Wait a minute? What are you talking about?"

"When we asked Bi-Beast how he heard of the Psycho-Prism, he didn't know what we were talking about. He didn't even remember the battle he just had."


	3. The Black Panther Strikes!

**Henry Pym's Penthouse**

**New York City, New York**

**September 3, 08:52 UTC **

"What _are_ you?" Pym thought he heard himself ask the Psycho-Prism, although the words didn't actually make it past Hank's lips.

He could no longer speak, or move many parts of his body at all. Hank hadn't eaten, shaved, or slept since the Psycho-Prism was first given to him to be studied three days ago. Fatigue had overcome him. Hank couldn't even close his bloodshot eyes. The Prism had taken over his body, mind, and entire life, for that matter. Hank couldn't fathom its extreme power, or make any scientific sense of its capabilities. He had lost track of time. Pym's mind could now do nothing but observe and ponder. Several questions were running through his mind. _When was the last time Janet walked in to check on me? Didn't I get into an argument with her? I think I hurt her feelings. I said something to her. I didn't want to see her again? Or did she say that to me? How many days ago was that? What day is today? How long have I been here? Weeks? Months? Years? No. It can't have been years. Someone would have come to check on me by now, right? Perhaps I locked the door. What is this thing in front of me? _Pym was slowly losing consciousness and a sense of reality. His brain capacity seemed to be decreasing. The only thing about which he could still think steadily was the Prism, as its power spread over Pym's brain like a dark cloud on a rainy day that was silently trying to warn people of an impending storm. A small part of him was trying to fight the Prism's overwhelming power, but Hank no longer had control of his mind. Like a virus spreading through one's body, the Prism's power spread through Hank's brain. Strange thoughts began to flash through his head, like a strange man in a colorful suit? _Who is that?_

* * *

><p><strong>Prison 42 Interrogation Room<strong>

**New York City, New York**

**September 3, 09:29 UTC**

"Okay, MODOC," Iron Man exclaimed angrily. "You better start talking! How'd you escape from 42? S.H.I.E.L.D.'s got this place crawling with guards. There's no way they would've missed a sight for sore eyes like you trying to escape."

"That, my armored friend, is my little secret," MODOC said jovially.

Iron Man growled. He wasn't in the mood to deal with stubborn supervillains. Right now, Iron Man's mind was on the Psycho-Prism, which the Avengers had acquired after intercepting a transaction between A.I.M. and Lucia von Bardas four mornings ago. Hank said he was coming very close to a major breakthrough in his studies, but Iron Man didn't have time to ask the scientist much more before being called in by Fury to help him with MODOC's interrogation, which was proving to be more difficult than one would think.

"Look. If you don't tell me how you escaped, I hope you like the taste of fully-charged uni-beam." MODOC saw the circle on Iron Man's chest turn bright blue, as it does when he is about to fire said beam.

"You would never do such a thing. You do not possess the courage, the authority or the conscience."

Iron Man grimaced. "I don't have time for games, MODOC." The armored Avenger paused.

"Fury, on the other hand, probably has all day for game-playing." Tony could rarely pass up the opportunity to crack a good joke, especially one at Fury's expense. Suddenly, Iron Man's mood shifted back to tense, impatient and irritable.

"Alright, you have one last chance, you slimy little…"

"Resorting to name calling, Avenger?" MODOC interrupted. "How infantile of you. Such interrogation methods shall never prove successful."

Iron Man was beyond frustration. "That's how you want it? Fine." Tony wasn't just trying to intimidate the mental organism. MODOC began to realize this once it was too late to start talking.

Without hesitation, Iron Man fired the blue repulsor ray at MODOC's head, and missed him only a few mere centimeters. The ray hit the wall behind MODOC.

"Okay, I'll talk!" exclaimed the alarmed mental organism.

"Stark," hollered Fury, "are you crazy? We need him alive! That kinda stunt's never gonna get you and your pals more respect from S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

"Fury, we don't have time to sit here and beg MODOC for information. We need to get answers."

"And how do you expect to get answers if he's incapacitated?"

"Well, I…"

"Perhaps I could be of assistance in this interrogation," the Black Panther told the two bickering men as he walked into the room.

"Panther! Just the guy we need," Iron Man exclaimed. "All MODOC has to do is look at you and he'll be so scared he'll tell us every bit of information that over-sized head of his can fit inside it!"

Black Panther stared expressionlessly at Iron Man, who soon realized that he'd probably offended the Panther.

"Oh. Umm…sorry. Sure, Panther, you can take a shot at it. We've been trying to get this guy to sing all morning and he hasn't said a thing."

"Thank you."

Fury would usually object to the idea, but he was too exhausted after a morning of hopelessly interrogating one of the most stubborn supervillains he'd ever encountered and it wasn't even noon yet. Furthermore, even Fury realized that their interrogation was going nowhere and if any supervillain could escape 42 as easily as MODOC, the world may be looking at a repeat of "the breakout."

"Now," Black Panther began, "I would appreciate if both of you could step outside to minimize distractions and maximize my concentration and fearful demeanor."

"Oh. Yea. Right," Iron Man agreed. "Let's go, Fury."

Fury sighed, "Alright, Panther. Do your worst."

"Indeed I shall." A faint yet grim smile came across the Panther's masked face.

Iron Man and Fury left the room quietly.

As soon as Black Panther heard the automatic doors click shut, he turned to his prey. MODOC's face was still covered by an evil, mischievous, stubborn grin. The Panther was about to wipe that seemingly plastered grin off of MODOC's face faster than he took down M'Baku the Man-Ape several months ago.

"I am only going to ask once," the Panther began, "tell me _everything_ that you know about the Psycho-Prism."

MODOC's mechanical mind quickly registered the serious, dark expression on Black Panther's face and the violent, evil tone of his voice. However, he knew that it was his responsibility to A.I.M. to not reveal a single secret. He tried to "keep his cool" and hide his fear, yet MODOC could feel his robotic body getting tenser and tenser. The quivering of his body and shakiness of his voice seemed involuntary. MODOC managed to mutter a half-hearted attempt at an insult.

"You are hopelessly pathetic. I will not utter a single word."

"I wasn't merely talking when I said that I was only going to ask once." Panther chuckled as he slowly walked closer to MODOC.

MODOC's calm, collected, mocking smile quickly faded and transformed into a dark, brooding frown.

"No! Please, don't…"

MODOC could not finish his sentence before the Panther pounced on his prey.

* * *

><p><strong>The Empire Café<strong>

**New York City, New York**

**September 3, 10:42 UTC**

Janet sat alone at a small outdoor table for two, staring down at a small glass of iced tea and a ham sandwich. She wasn't in the mood to eat. Janet couldn't take Hank off of her mind. He had really offended her this time. Hank always seemed so distant from Janet. All he ever seemed to care about was his experiments and discoveries. Apparently, Jan had really disturbed him. _Don't ever come back again! Janet van Dyne, I do not want to see you anymore, not for the rest of my life!_ Those two sentences had been running through her mind ever since he said that last night. Jan could not and would not ever forget those words, which came out of the mouth of the single most important person to her in the world, no matter how hard she tried. _I don't want to see you...ever again._ The words hurt her so badly that Janet could almost physically feel the pain. Hank's words burned. They had burned a permanent place inside her insect-sized brain.

Jan wished more than anything that there was some mistake…some confusion. Maybe she was dreaming, or misheard. Maybe Hank misspoke, or thought he was speaking to someone else, another woman by the name of Janet van Dyne. Maybe that wasn't Hank. It could have been a Skrull imposter! Suddenly, Jan's waitress walked by, snapping Jan out of her deep thoughts.

"Are you ready for the bill, ma'am?" the waitress asked.

"Uh, sure," Jan sighed.

As the waitress walked away, Janet returned to reality. Who was she kidding? There was no denying or ignoring Hank's actions this time. What happened was as clear as day. It was as plain and obvious as it could be. The truth had never been this conspicuous. The truth was that Hank had finally decided not to hide his feelings. He didn't love Jan. Hank loved science. That was all he ever had loved and all he ever would care about whatsoever. He didn't want to be an Avenger. He didn't want to have a relationship with any woman, especially not Jan, and he hoped never to see Janet van Dyne again. Tears began falling from Janet's eyes once she finally started to accept the reality of what had happened. She tried to hold back, but simply couldn't. Doc Samson once told Jan that crying and talking about one's feelings when there is a problem is therapeutic, but Jan found that keeping Hank on her mind only made things worse. She wanted to completely erase that jerk from her brain, but it was impossible. She felt cursed, tortured by her own feelings and thoughts. There was no way to escape her own mind, or so she thought, until the mighty Thor arrived.

Thor was just returning from Asgard. He had planned to spend the weekend with his family and friends, but an argument with Sif over Thor's relationship with Jane Foster, a "pathetic, mere mortal" as Sif has called her, had resulted in Thor's leaving for the weekend. He expected to return next weekend and forget the events of the previous weekend, hoping Sif would do the same. However, Thor, who tended to be quite arrogant and relentless, didn't fathom even half of Sif's emotional state. She was in dire agony simply thinking about the man she loved so dearly falling for a Midgardian. Sif had had feelings for Thor for years, yet she was never bold enough to express them. She would always hold back her feelings from Thor, hoping to express her love at the perfect time, which seemingly never did come. Thor always realized that he and Sif were close, yet he thought of their relationship as a brother-sister one, certainly not a romantic one. Similarly to the way Hank treated Jan, Thor always treated Sif somewhat aloofly, rarely acknowledging her. Sif's main concern about Thor's love for adventure and leaving Asgard was always that, being extroverted and outgoing, he would find love on another realm. However, she had never expected him to fall head over heels for a mortal! Sif's pride was hurt. She had lost her chance to develop a romantic relationship with Thor, and was now in as weak of an emotional state as Janet, while the almighty Thor returned to his "home away from home" without a smidgen of awareness of Sif's true feelings or mental condition.

Thor flew down to Midgard and landed on the ground right next to the café. The first thing he spotted was Janet, all alone. Thor wasn't very observant, but he could easily tell that she was very upset, so Thor walked right over to Janet's table and sat at the chair across from her.

"Friend Wasp, is something off balance today?" Thor asked curiously.

"No, no. Of course not. I'm great. Totally fine," Janet answered, trying to sound like her usual giddy self. "Why would you think otherwise?"

"You simply seemed distraught."

"Distraught? Pffft. That's the silliest thing I've ever heard." Janet chuckled phonily. She didn't want to bring up her feelings to Thor. She didn't want to bring up Hank.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep."

"Well, then, I guess I'll just…"

"Okay, okay," Janet interrupted, "Hank said he never wanted to see me again. I'm heartbroken!" Jan couldn't resist. She had always been horrible at disguising her emotions and keeping things from her friends.

"Friend Pym? Hark! I do not believe my ears. Surely you must be mistaken!"

"Nope. He said it to my face. He's become obsessed with this prism thingy."

"Prism? You mean the device the Avengers recovered earlier this week?"

"Yea. He's finally admitted it. He doesn't want anything to do with me. All Hank wants is to be left alone with his science experiments. I just…I just can't believe it. I thought there was gonna be something more between us. I thought that he was just denying it, but he really did, deep down inside, have feelings for me."

"I understand your pain, Janet. I too have recently had a discrepancy with a loved one. My good friend and frequent combat ally Sif has been hostile toward me as of late. She believes that too much of my time is devoted to the mortal world. 'Tis why I have returned to Midgard early this week. But worry not, friend, companionship is the best method of spiritual recovery."

"Thanks, Thor." Janet smiled. She hadn't realized until this point how powerful Thor's smile was. It seemed so reassuring, kindly and approachable. Janet felt that she could talk to Thor about anything. He seemed like a trustworthy person, one in whom Jan could confide and to whom she could say anything that was on her mind without needing to worry that her secrets would be exposed. Janet had always been able to tell that Thor was not the judgmental type.

Janet's eyes then shifted to Thor's broad, muscular shoulders. They seemed as if they could hold the weight of the world steadily. His chest was also incredibly powerful. Unlike Hank, who was a scrawny, weak nerd, Thor was brawny and strong. He was the kind of man a woman would want. Janet could easily reside in Thor. She was confident that he would protect and comfort her when necessary. Jan knew that a man like Thor would never betray a woman. She felt herself drifting away from Earth and the harsh realities of everyday life as she gazed into Thor's beautiful eyes. Thor was gazing into hers as well. Suddenly, Jan forgot all about Hank for the first time since the two had met.

* * *

><p><strong>Prison 42<strong>

**New York City, New York**

**September 3, 10:56 UTC**

Nick Fury and Tony Stark were just returning from a "quick" coffee break which had turned into an hour-long adventure when Crimson Dynamo attacked the coffee shop and attempted to steal a large supply of Splenda.

"Okay, Stark, I know that you had to do your hero thing and save the day, but did you have to stay that long giving out autographs?" Fury asked irritably.

"Hey, they gave me a lifetime supply of free decaf in return for beating up just one lousy Soviet in a bulky suit of armor. I couldn't turn them down," Stark retorted.

Fury rolled his eyes, in no mood to "chew the fat." He hadn't been able to relax one bit while on his coffee break. Fury couldn't stop thinking about MODOC. He could tell that something wasn't quite right about Panther when he asked to be left alone with the supervillain, but Fury let Stark convince him to take a break anyway. Fury felt overworked and tired of spending many long hours working only to get no results. The two walked in silence back to the 42 interrogation room to find that the Black Panther was no longer there.

"Where'd Panther go?" Tony asked, surprised.

"That's what I'd like to know," Fury said.

MODOC was silently and motionlessly sitting at the table, exactly where he had been all morning. However, despite the door being wide open, he hadn't escaped.

"Who are you and what did you do with MODOC? We've been in this room a whole thirty seconds and you haven't made one dumb joke," Tony asked the mental organism kiddingly.

MODOC did not respond, so Tony and Fury walked closer to him for an examination. MODOC was quivering. His bloodshot eyes were wide open. MODOC's mouth was also open and spit was trickling out of the corners of his lips. He was petrified.

"Guy looks like he's seen a ghost," Fury declared.

"That musta been some ghost," Tony added.

"MODOC, are you okay? Hello?" Fury began getting frustrated. MODOC would not answer.

"He's out of it," Tony announced.

Suddenly, MODOC's mouth began to slowly and barely move. He muttered a few words that Tony and Fury could only hear by straining their ears

"He…he…don't let him hurrrr….keep him out…out…"

"I miss the old MODOC," Tony admitted.

"Something happened that shouldn't have," Fury deduced.

"Oh, really? I had no idea," Tony mocked.

"We don't have time for jokes, Stark. I'll get MODOC some medical help. You find out what happened to Panther," Fury instructed as he darted for the door.

"Got it."

"Oh, and Stark," Fury added before exiting the room, "assemble the Avengers."

Tony nodded as Fury continued out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Henry Pym's Penthouse<strong>

**New York City, New York**

**September 3, 10:51 UTC**

The Black Panther had gotten the information he needed from MODOC and was now ready to begin the next step of the plan, which involved betraying each and every one of his teammates as well as the very people he had strived to protect for the past few months. Panther reviewed the steps in his head as he leaped atop Hank's penthouse. Conveniently, Pym lived on the very top floor, making him easily accessible to the Panther. Panther knew that he had to act quickly, as it would not be long before Iron Man returned to 42, discovered what had happened to MODOC, and assembled his team. Panther used his claws to cut a very precise, large rectangular hole in the roof. Pym, only half conscious already due to the mentally damaging effects of the Psycho-Prism, surely did not notice this until the piece of the roof that was cut landed right on top of him.

Panther jumped through the hole and landed on his feet next to Pym, who was lying on the floor struggling to lift the large rectangle off of him. Panther quickly examined the Psycho-Prism to verify that it was the real device and was not damaged or harmed in any way. As he grabbed the Prism and prepared to exit through the hole he had made in the roof, Pym finally managed to lift the piece of the roof. He weakly stood up, feeling his knees buckling under him. They were trying to warn him of their impending collapse. Pym's entire body was quivering. He held up a hand and pointed a shaky finger at the Black Panther.

"You…you can't…take…give it back…dangerous…ple-"

Hank's words were cut off when the Black Panther through five vibranium daggers at him, hitting Hank in the left cheek, chest, left arm, stomach, and right leg. Hank fell to the ground, struggling to maintain consciousness. He had to alert S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers somehow. No. Doing so would only lead to more violence and endanger lives. He had to explain to the Black Panther just how dangerous the device he was holding really was, but he could barely speak and the Panther appeared to be in no mood to talk. Pym found it increasingly difficult to remain conscious. He was tempted to give in to the cramps, the cuts, the bleeding, and the mental weariness which acted as heavy weights pulling his mind into a deep pit of pure and possibly eternal darkness. Hank wanted to use this opportunity to prove to his teammates that words accomplish the same things that can be accomplished by violence, but he was just too weak and tired.

"Panth…how could…please…," was all the poor scientist could mutter.

He felt himself blacking out. It seemed as if the colors of the objects surrounding him were dissolving. Everything looked grey, even the Panther's pitch black costume. But the one thing that didn't look grey was the final thing Hank saw before completely losing consciousness and giving in to the overpowering feelings of pain and exhaustion – a bright, sparkling, neon purple dagger which hit him directly in the left eye.

* * *

><p><strong>Avengers Mansion<strong>

**New York City, New York**

**September 3, 11:01 UTC**

Hawkeye and the Hulk were just returning from an intense battle with two of Hulk's greatest foes – the Abomination and Zzzax. The two villains had managed to escape, although the heroes foiled their attempt to drain the largest power plant in New York City.

"Hulk, next time we're battling two of _your_ enemies, try to remember that I don't have brute strength and watch my back a little more," Hawkeye scolded Hulk. Hawkeye was literally sore from the battle. Hulk had gotten so wrapped up in his fight with Abomination, one of his worst longtime enemies, that he left Hawkeye to deal with Zzzax alone. Hawkeye soon ran out of arrows and the being of pure energy proceeded to mangle him until Abomination interrupted the battle to inform Zzzax that he could no longer handle Hulk and the mission needed to be aborted.

"Not my fault you're too puny to handle a guy half my size," Hulk teased.

Hawkeye frowned. He was in too much pain to argue with Hulk, especially considering the two's arguments usually became physical.

"I'm gonna hit the showers, big guy."

Hawkeye headed for the bathroom, while Hulk headed for the kitchen. As soon as Hawkeye was out of sight, the Black Panther, who had been watching the entire spat between the two usually-best friends, knew it was time to make his move. He walked into the mansion through the main doors and went straight into the kitchen. Panther had to act quickly. Iron Man had attempted to contact Black Panther several times via his Avengers ID card, but Panther hadn't answered. It was only a matter of minutes before Iron Man contacted the other Avengers and informed them of what happened, so Panther needed to quickly take care of the other Avengers in the building and disable the ID cards.

Inside the kitchen, Hulk was cleaning out the refrigerator. Now, Black Panther had a personal vendetta against the Hulk, who was eating the turkey legs which Panther had hoped to save for his Sunday afternoon feast! Without hesitation, he walked over to the green giant.

"Hulk, I apologize for interrupting your meal," Panther began.

"What do you want?" Hulk asked irritably. If there was one thing Hulk hated even more than being chased by people too foolish to see through his intimidating exterior, it was people interrupted his meals.

"I simply thought I should inform you of Hawkeye's hidden agenda."

"Huh?"

"You and Hawkeye are the best of friends, correct?"

"Yea."

"Have you ever wondered why Hawkeye seems to trust you so much more easily than the rest of your teammates? Did you ever notice that he seems just a bit too ready to accept you as a friend considering you have a history of being rather dangerous? Have you ever realized that Hawkeye's joining the Avengers seems a bit suspicious, as we were the very people who were trying to incarcerate him a mere day or two before his membership began?"

"What are you tryin' to say, you little Wakandan twirp?" Panther could tell that Hulk was preparing to charge at him.

"Hulk, I am not the one at whom you should be angry. A recent look at Hawkeye's file in the Avengers computer shows that he recently joined General Thaddeus Ross' team of Hulkbusters." The Black Panther paused, seeing the Hulk's defensive and aggressive eyes widening. "Do you recall the condition under which you would join the Avengers?"

"I said I'd stay on the team if Goldilocks did."

"Hawkeye, who was rightfully reluctant to join the team at first, only joined so readily and suddenly after hearing that his membership of the team would result in your membership of the team. This is because he saw membership of the same team as you as a way to keep an eye on the 'deadliest man alive,' a term he used in reference to you in a recently documented conversation between him and General Ross. Hawkeye's file explained that the only reason he joined the Avengers was to convince the general that he was a suitable and useful addition to the Hulkbusters team. Hawkeye's position makes him an asset. Now, he has the opportunity to observe you very closely and is able to quickly and easily call in his teammates to take you down should you "step out of line," as he said.

"I'm gonna kill that scrawny little freak!"

"Hulk, please, calm down. I am sure Hawkeye will be able to justify his actions to you if you attempt to calmly discuss this with him in a nonviolent way. You would not want to trash the mansion or injure Hawkeye. Would you?"

"Where is he?"

"I believe he told you that he was going to take a shower. Perhaps you should wait to…"

"That little punk's gonna be sorry he ever set foot near me!"

Hulk dashed out of the kitchen, dropping the turkey legs on the floor, and barged up the stairs. The Black Panther had a feeling that he would hear something of a clatter in a matter of seconds. Without wasting even a few seconds, Panther proceeded to the control room.

* * *

><p>The Black Panther wasn't usually the one who operated the Avengers' technology, but, being a Wakandan, Panther was naturally able to quickly understand and operate unfamiliar technology. As soon as he entered the control room, Black Panther headed for the main frame, setting the duffel bag in which he carried the Psycho-Prism by the door. In only two minutes he had hacked into the computer, overridden all preliminary security and warning systems, and disabled the Avengers ID cards despite constant warnings from JARVIS.<p>

"Sir, why won't you respond to me? Do you realize what you are doing? You are disabling the Avengers' communication system! This is a very poor choice. It is recommended that you stop immediately or I shall have to alert-." JARVIS' reprimand was quickly cut off as the highly technologically-literate Black Panther disabled him.

The Black Panther considered deleting JARVIS completely, as the virtual personality had succeeded in aggravating the Panther more than some of the most arrogant of supervillains had ever done, but a sudden sharp-shooting pain and voice inside his head prevented the Black Panther from doing so.

"Panther, what are you doing? This isn't what you came for. Get back to your job. You're running out of time," an evil voice scolded the rogue hero.

All desire to delete JARVIS was wiped from Panther's mind as he resumed hacking the computer. Panther only needed six minutes to bypass the remaining security systems and hack into the most protected section of the database – a file containing the codes to control all technology located inside or around the mansion, including Iron Man's armor, the Quinjet, the training room, and all internal and external defense systems. Black Panther felt like a miner who had just found a huge sum of gold after months of digging, although Panther was able to achieve this in less than ten minutes. Only taking a maximum of ten seconds to revel in the glory of what he had just accomplished, Panther quickly continued his work. He speedily obtained voice command over the technology he had just hacked. Now, it was time to assign each device a task.

"Armor, turn on attack mode," Black Panther began. "Annihilate _everyone_ in New York City. Take no prisoners whatsoever. Destroy everything in sight. Use deadly force and do not hold back at all. Priority alpha is to destroy the Avengers. Priority beta is to destroy all citizens. Priority gamma is to tear the entire city apart. Go."

"Suits of armor: activated. Attack mode: on," the computer responded.

Eleven suits of armor were released from their brand new protective pods (in which Iron Man had placed them after A.I.M. tried to infiltrate Stark Tower and steal Tony's technology) and swiftly flew out of the mansion through the roof. Clean circular holes were made in the roof at the spots through which the suits of armor passed. Tony had just added this convenient feature to the roof and walls, so transportation would be quicker and damage to the mansion would be minimized. The mansion already had to deal with frequent tantrums thrown by the Hulk, Hank's science experiments which usually involved several unexpected explosions, and the heroes' constant "rough-housing." Panther found it rather convenient that Tony had just recently moved 90% of his technology to the Avengers Mansion (also due to A.I.M.'s attack on Stark Tower). Most of it was stored in an underground facility. However, the technology that Panther needed was right inside the Mansion. The arrogant armored Avenger had no clue what was coming.

* * *

><p><strong>Prison 42 Rooftop<strong>

**New York City, New York**

**September 3, 11:11 UTC**

"Avengers assemble! Something's happened to Black Panther. I can't find him. Hello? Team?" Iron Man hollered into his ID card. He was becoming increasingly frustrated.

"What's wrong with this ID card? I thought JARVIS said he inspected these and there were no glitches or bugs! This is some of the most highly advanced technology Stark Industries has to offer! How couldn't it be working? Come on, contact the Avengers, you stupid card!"

Iron Man irately threw the card, which hit the metal rooftop of 42. He didn't have time for delays. Tony knew that something was seriously wrong, and he had to contact the Avengers as soon as possible. However, on Saturdays, the team tended to be scattered across the city if not the country. The heroes were rarely readily available on Saturdays. Most used Saturdays for recreation. Only Captain America always remain remained available in case a sudden emergency were to arise.

"This doesn't make sense. These cards are hack-proof. The only way to disable them is…through the Avengers' mainframe computer! Oh, no!"

Iron Man suddenly realized just how serious the situation really was. For a moment, it seemed as if his entire body was frozen by the feeling of pure shock and concern. However, this feeling didn't last long. Tony soon snapped out of this. Someone was at the mansion and had hacked into the computer. Whoever did so had access to the Qunjet, all the Avengers' weapons, and…the Iron Man armor!

Before Tony had a chance to take off his armor, every screen inside his mask (which usually showed the armor's statistics) turned bright red. Tony had to close his eyes to keep from being blinded. However, he didn't need to see to know what that meant, as Tony had built the armor. Someone had turned on attack mode, which was a mode in which the armor would ruthlessly, unyieldingly, and without hesitation attack everyone in sight using every weapon to which it had access. This mode had only been tested once in an isolated desert that was entirely uninhabited. The only thing the armor had to attack in the desert was an army of robots, and within minutes the armor had destroyed all fifty of these robots. Tony had only intended for attack mode to be used in wars, as it was extremely deadly. Now, Tony had no control over his own armor. He was about to kill everyone in sight and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I've gotta warn whoever I can. Hey, guys…," Tony called out to whoever could hear him.

"Face plate: off," Tony heard his armor say. "Attack mode: on. Priority alpha: destroy the Avengers."

"Oh. Great," Tony mumbled to himself.

Tony didn't have time to continue trying to devise a solution. The armor leaped into the air and zoomed away, ready to hunt down its first prey.

* * *

><p><strong>Avengers Mansion<strong>

**New York City, New York**

**September 3, 11:12 UTC**

"Computer, access Quinjet control system," Panther commanded, still sitting at the Avengers' main computer in the control room.

"Accessing Avengers Quinjet control system," the computer replied cooperatively.

"Quinjet, activate autopilot mode."

"Quinjet: activated. Autopilot mode: on."

"Attack New York City. Priority alpha is to destroy Stark Tower. Priority beta is to destroy the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Priority gamma is to tear the city apart."

The Quinjet wasted no time in starting itself up and flying out of the Avengers mansion, again through a convenient hole automatically made in the nearest wall.

"Access Mansion security cameras," Panther commanded.

"Accessing security cameras," the computer replied as it loaded cameras scanning each area of the Mansion.

The Black Panther examined each camera until he found Hawkeye, who had just finished his shower and was putting his mask on.

* * *

><p>Suddenly, the Hulk barged into the bathroom, breaking both doors off of their hinges.<p>

"You filthy traitor," Hulk hollered at the confused archer.

"What?"

"You sold me out! And for that, you're gonna be sorry!"

"Wait a minute! Are we on the same page here?"

Hulk didn't stop to talk. He charged at Hawkeye, roaring at the top of his oversized green lungs.

"Oh, boy," Hawkeye muttered to himself as he picked up his bow and quiver and leaped into the air just in time to avoid being crushed by the raging monster.

Hawkeye landed on his feet behind the Hulk, who stopped himself just before crashing into a wall. The beast spun around. Hawkeye had never seen his eyes so red.

"The more you resist, the more it's gonna hurt, so resist all you want," Hulk threatened before charging at Hawkeye again.

* * *

><p>Black Panther would have loved to watch the entire battle, but his work was not done. He still had to take care of Captain America, who was shown by the security cameras to be in the training room.<p>

"Access training room controls."

"Accessing training room control system."

Panther saw that Captain America, still weak from the recent fight with Bi-Beast, was only training on a Level 5 simulation, as opposed to the usual Level 8. (The maximum was Level 10.) Captain America, the most skilled Avenger, was the only one to ever train above Level 7, and even he would only train on Level 9 occasionally. Level 10 had never been used before, as it hadn't been tested yet and was presumably very dangerous. Iron Man had been meaning to redesign the Level 10 simulation so it would be less dangerous, but he hadn't had the time. After today, Tony would wish that he had given such a task a higher priority on his "to-do" list.

"Increase training room session to Level 10."

"Warning: Simulation Level 10 is untested and highly dangerous. Deadly force is used and there is no way to cancel a Level 10 simulation once it has begun. Are you sure you would like to proceed to Level 10?"

"Yes. Proceed."

"Increasing training room session to Simulation Level 10."

Panther only paused for a minute to watch the hopelessly doomed Captain America.

* * *

><p>Cap was fighting three different villains in the Level 5 simulation: Baron Zemo, Baron von Strucker, and Red Skull. He always preferred to fight enemies associated with HYDRA, as Captain America had always thought of HYDRA as the most dangerous threat to national security, even during the World War II days. The location of this simulation was an old abandoned HYDRA facility. There were only four fairly weak henchmen, all of whom were guarding the Red Skull. The object of this simulation was simply to defeat all the opponents. There was no item to obtain or person to rescue and there were no sudden surprise villains or obstacles, or so the first Avenger had thought. Captain America found the simulation relatively boring, but he knew that he was still not ready for a simulation as physically exhausting as the ones offered by levels above Level 5.<p>

The only factor that made the simulation even slightly difficult for Captain America was the lack of much running space. After being frozen under water for approximately 65 years, Cap had developed mild claustrophobia, which he could usually overcome by maintaining a reasonable distance from his opponents when in combat. However, the facility was not large enough to allow Captain America to maintain such distance easily. Of course, this lack of room also worked to Captain America's advantage, as he did not have to hunt for his opponents and could not easily be taken by surprise. Unfortunately for Cap, the already small space in which the simulation was taking place was about to become much smaller.

Captain America had just managed to take out all four of Red Skull's minions with a surprise shield attack. He tossed his shield, which hit the heads of each of the four minions, knocking them to the floor all at once, and, like a boomerang, whirled right back into Cap's hand.

"It's over, Red Skull," Captain America declared triumphantly, imagining that it was 1944, the war was almost over, and he was about to engage in one final confrontation with his archenemy to settle things once and for all between the two. Captain America was going to enjoy this.

"Captain, I'm disappointed in you. You must be getting soft in your _very_ old age. You've neglected to take care of your other two opponents before trying to take on me," Red Skull teased as Zemo and Strucker surrounded Cap, prepared to attack ruthlessly.

"It looks like you're outnumbered, Captain," Red Skull said before turning to the other two supervillains. "Now, gentlemen, if you'll stand back and let me take care of the soldier here. Once I've taken him apart, we'll divide his remains."

Captain America was both nervous and excited. He enjoyed the thrill and adrenaline flow that came with these dangerous confrontations. Cap actually liked feeling like his life was on the line. It gave meaning to the fight. However, the old soldier had to be careful not to get too caught up in the moment. He had to stay focused and calm enough to win the fight. As Cap began quickly looking for the best way to handle the situation, suddenly, an earsplitting alarm sounded and bright red lights began flashing.

"Training session increased to Simulation Level 10," Captain America heard a computerized voice that was surely not JARVIS say.

"Level 10? How'd that happen?" Cap asked himself, confused.

Suddenly, the three HYDRA supervillains disappeared and the HYDRA facility, which was already too small for Cap's taste, transformed into the supervillain prison invented by Henry Pym known as the Big House, which was ironically the size of an ant. In reality, this prison was no longer active since the breakout. Now, all supervillains were sent to the prison in the Negative Zone known as 42. The Big House was used only for experimentation by Henry Pym. However, the Avengers still used the Big House as an arena for training sessions.

Before Captain America could recover from the shock of what had just happened, seven supervillains appeared right in front of him as quickly as the three HYDRA villains had disappeared. Usually, Cap could take on seven supervillains without too much trouble, but these were not any seven villains. These were members of the Serpent Society, which was probably the most prominent and dangerous group of supervillains currently at large. The Serpent Society consisted of seven genetically-altered snake-themed supervillains who were longtime enemies of Captain America. Led by the Viper (also known as Madame HYDRA, the owner of the terrorist organization HYDRA), the group also included the villains King Cobra, Anaconda, Bushmaster, Constrictor, Death Adder, and Rattler. There were no weak members of the Serpent Society who were simply used as minions or "bait" for traps. Each member of the Society was individually a very powerful, dangerous threat to mankind. These villains could and would kill anyone who stood in their way, or anyone who they wanted to kill just for amusement. Captain America had witnessed this on several occasions, the last being only a few weeks ago.

* * *

><p>Captain America was on patrol duty one evening when, out of the blue, the Serpent Society attacked a small convenience store, just after closing time. This store was not prosperous or wealthy. The owner was actually a very poor, low class man who could barely afford to pay the bills, as a convenience store in New York City is no competition for large stores and supercenters run by greedy corporate executives, which are, to say the least, abundant in the "Big Apple." The owner of this small shop was the only person who worked there, besides a few family members and friends who would occasionally come in to work at the cash register for a few hours for little or no pay. Captain America called for backup, but the Avengers did not arrive to help him in time. Cap had to go in alone against the seven powerhouses. He was absolutely no match for them.<p>

The old soldier remembered his encounter quite vividly. Anaconda, Bushmaster, Constrictor, and Rattler immediately overpowered Cap, pinned him to the ground and proceeded to punch and kick him. King Cobra grabbed his shield and used it to vandalize the store. Death Adder emptied the cash register and filled a large safe with all the money in the store as well as a few products. Viper pulled out a handgun and ruthlessly fired at the owner. As he lay on the floor in severe pain from the bullet wounds, Viper and King Cobra lit dynamite sticks and placed them around the store. After significantly injuring Captain America and leaving him barely mobile, Anaconda, Bushmaster, Constrictor and Rattler followed the others out of the store. King Cobra dropped Cap's shield on the floor a few feet away from the soldier as he walked out, having no desire to possess something that would remind him of Captain America or the country which he detested so heartily. Constrictor carried the safe. Before walking out of the trashed and near-destruction store, Viper aimed her gun and fired one last shot at the poor, helpless, innocent, dying man, this time hitting him in the forehead and murdering him in cold blood.

"How…could you?" Captain America asked the wicked woman in utter shock and pure disgust.

"What's wrong, Captain? Feeling guilty? Viper teased. "If you feel so sorry for that poor man, why didn't you try to save him, instead of just sitting there like a pathetic fool?"

Captain America tried to open his mouth, but could not think of anything to say. Viper aimed her gun at the head of the weakened Avenger, who was lying face down with his head barely held high enough to stare into the purely evil face of the vicious woman who had just cruelly and relentlessly murdered a completely innocent man.

"Old fart's lucky, if you ask me. He was already beyond saving. I just put him out of his misery, like I'm about to do to you, Captain," Viper chuckled.

Captain America grimaced and reached for his shield, which was a mere few feet away from him. He managed to grab it and swing it in front of his face just before the bullet from Viper's gun hit. The bullet was deflected and hit Viper in the shoulder. She screeched and dropped her gun to the floor.

Cap began to slowly stand up, still weak from the blows dealt by the villains. He looked at the sticks of dynamite, which were about to blow.

"Viper, we need to get-aaahhh," Captain America's warning was interrupted by a bunch in the face from King Cobra, who had walked back into the store to defend his leader. Cap fell back onto the floor, this time face up.

"You're gonna pay for that, Cap," Cobra shouted angrily.

Cobra was ready to finish Captain America off with his bare hands, but Viper stopped him.

"Cobra, no! We need to get out of here, now. Leave the dynamite to kill him," Viper commanded.

Cobra looked disappointed. He was looking forward to this, but realized that he would not live to savor the memory if he didn't get out of the store immediately. Cobra grabbed Viper and ran out of the store.

Captain America watched as the seven vile serpents escaped into the sewer, taking the large safe with them. He knew that this was the end. Cap would die with the innocent man in a small convenience shop. Two lives would be unfairly ended in the same building, which was ironically unjustly treated by society. The super soldier closed his eyes and waited for the end. However, the end never did come.

Within seconds, a small blue police car pulled up next to the store. Two police men hopped out of the car and ran into the store. Each man grabbed one Captain America's arms and, struggling, lifted him up. The men glanced at the dead store owner (unsure of his condition), but Captain America was able to mutter that he was dead. The three hobbled out of the store just before the dynamite sticks exploded, sending the small convenience shop up in a cloud of smoke. A fire truck arrived shortly after to put out the massive fire before anyone else was hurt.

* * *

><p>Captain America was dazed, caught up in the deeply depressing memory of his most recent encounter with the Serpent Society, which allowed the simulated snakes to catch him off guard. Cap's flashback was suddenly interrupted by a powerful blow to the stomach dealt by Rattler's tail. Captain America was sent hovering into a nearby wall, which he hit with a thud. Cap rubbed his stomach, which was stinging, as he stood up and turned his attention to the seven supervillains, who were rapidly approaching him. Captain America could not let his attention drift away again. He had to stay focused if he wanted to stay alive.<p>

Cap quickly whipped out his Avengers ID card and attempted to contact Iron Man.

"Iron Man, I need help. Something's gone wrong with the training session I was in. The Serpent Society, they're-," Captain America stopped his sentence upon realizing two things: the card was not working and Anaconda was diving towards him as he spoke.

Before Cap could move out of her path, Anaconda tackled him. She pinned him to the ground and put him in a headlock. Captain America had a premonition that this training session would not be ending favorably.

* * *

><p>Black Panther had seen enough. He was sure that Captain America would be taken care of, at least for now. He had two final commands to deliver to the computer before leaving the mansion and moving on to the next phase in his master's plan.<p>

"Computer, intruders have entered the mansion. Initiate code red lockdown sequence to take effect in exactly four minutes. Once the lockdown has taken effect, _no one_ may leave or enter the mansion. If anyone attempts to do either, activate all of the mansion's defense and weapons systems and do not use hesitantly," Panther commanded.

"Lockdown sequence: initiated. Effect in: four minutes and zero seconds. Fatal force will be applied if necessary," the computer complied.

"Finally, initiate self-destruct sequence. The entire mansion must be destroyed in exactly thirty minutes."

"Self-destruct sequence: initiated. Countdown set for: thirty minutes and zero seconds."

"Perfect."

The Black Panther stood up from the chair, ran to the door, grabbed his duffel bag, and exited the computer room, sure that the Avengers were truly doomed this time.

* * *

><p>Panther knew that he had to act quickly, as he only had a few minutes to escape the mansion before being locked inside it. It only took him three minutes to arrive at the main doors. He waited a few more seconds to ensure that none of the Avengers escaped before the lockdown began. During this time, Hawkeye suddenly flew down the main set of stairs and landed on the floor a few feet away from Panther.<p>

"Hey, Panther, how 'bout a little help here? Hulk's lost it. He thinks I'm a traitor or something," Hawkeye said.

"Perhaps you _are_ a traitor."

"What?" Panther saw the look of surprise and irritation on Hawkeye's face.

"Or perhaps _I_ am the one who betrayed you all, archer." Now, Hawkeye saw a look of amusement and evil in Black Panther's eyes, which were a surprising shade of purple.

"What are you trying to say?" Hawkeye stood up. The Hulk was coming. Hawkeye could hear his footsteps getting closer.

"The look of confusion on your face is laughable, Hawkeye. You don't even understand what's going on. I've just betrayed the entire team. _I_ initiated the battle between you and Hulk. _I_ shut down your communication system. _I_ trapped Captain America inside a Level 10 training simulation. _I_ have unleashed an army of Iron Men upon New York City, and _I_ have set the mansion to burn to the ground in exactly thirty minutes."

Usually, one would be shocked to hear such information from a trusted comrade, but not Hawkeye. Clint was used to being betrayed. Ever since he was a young child, Hawkeye had been frequently used, taken advantage of, tricked, deceived, lied to, betrayed, and mistreated. He was raised and trained by two supervillains who were part of a circus act, which allowed them to travel around the world and commit crimes anywhere. Hawkeye was tricked and forced into committing crimes for these two vile criminals for many years, until he finally decided to steer his life in the path of _his_ choice. Having been trained by his own enemies, Hawkeye didn't have a hard time defeating both of the supervillains in battle, especially when he used the element of surprise. Clint had, at the time, not been as emotionally stable and sure of himself as he was by the time he joined the Avengers, so he didn't turn either criminal in to the police. Their flat and empty words of "praise" and "affection" for Clint at the time of their defeat had managed to legitimately confuse Clint and convince him to let his two "foster parents" flee. Although Hawkeye had escaped them and foiled their evil plans, the two supervillains were never incarcerated and to this day were still at large. This move was one for which Clint never was able to forgive himself.

Hawkeye had been betrayed by many other people in his life, including his trusted S.H.I.E.L.D. partner the Black Widow and was even locked away by the very people who claimed to be "the good guys." Hawkeye had even been chased by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers on several occasions. For these reasons, Hawkeye had learned _never_ to fully trust anyone. The one man whom Clint trusted more than anyone else, the Hulk, had just lashed out at him and begun attacking him. Therefore, Hawkeye was not very astounded at all by the Black Panther's betrayal. Actually, he was able to easily retort.

"You'll never get away with this, you filthy scum," Hawkeye cried.

"I already have," Black Panther retorted.

"Lockdown sequence beginning in ten seconds," a computerized voice announced.

"That's my cue to leave and I see your big green cue waiting behind you to destroy you. He's all yours, Hulk," Panther cackled before leaping into the air, kicking Hawkeye right in the face, sending him flying right into the arms of the Hulk, and racing out of the mansion's main doors just in time to hear the same computerized voice announced that the lockdown had begun.

Black Panther pulled the Psycho-Prism out of the duffel bag and briefly examined it. It had remained intact and was ready to be delivered to his master. Panther was sure that his master would be pleased. Finally, after not having taken the time to congratulate himself or enjoy the glorious feeling of victory throughout his entire mission, Panther began to smile. He could not recall the last his smile had been this wild, or the last time he had chuckled the way he did. The chuckle was long, arrogant, and evil. The chuckle soon transformed into a deep, loud, vile laughter. This laughter continued throughout Panther's journey to his next stop, a last brief stop the Panther had to make before returning to his master's headquarters.

Inside the mansion, Hawkeye squirmed violently in an effort to escape the very powerful clutches of the incredible Hulk. Hulk's grip was firm. Hawkeye was in severe, excruciating pain. This agony was worsening. The archer could barely handle it. He looked up at his predator. Hulk's face was honest, yet angry. It expressed a very sincere anger as opposed to the Panther, about whom there was absolutely nothing sincere. He had betrayed his teammates. He had tricked and deceived everyone and now the entire team, along with many more people, was going to die because of such trickery. No! Hawkeye couldn't allow that. He had to find a way to escape. He had to do something. He couldn't just let his teammates perish and Panther accomplish whatever it was he was trying to accomplish. What was he trying to accomplish? Hawkeye would figure that out later, but right now he had to focus on the brute at hand. Everything was going black. Hulk was suffocating him.

"I am going to enjoy this," Hulk said grimly.

"It's gonna be a long thirty minutes," Hawkeye sighed.

"Correction: You now have twenty-eight minutes remaining before the self-destruction of the mansion," Hawkeye heard the computerized voice state.

Hawkeye rolled his eyes. "If I ever get outta this, after I really hurt Panther, I'm gonna smash that computer."

* * *

><p><strong>The Empire Café<strong>

**New York City, New York**

**September 3, 11:23 UTC**

Thor and Wasp had been deeply lost in each other's eyes for the past forty minutes. The waitress had decided to leave the two alone, as she always enjoyed watching romance blossom. However, this romance did not last very long. Unfortunately, an elderly man at the Empire Café had a heart attack and an ambulance was immediately called. Neither Thor nor Wasp had noticed the screeching sirens of an ambulance as it approached the café. When the ambulance finally arrived, out walked paramedic Jane Foster, one of Thor's closest friends. Thor and Jane had gone on several dates and a romantic relationship between the two had been steadily forming ever since Thor's arrival on Earth. Jane liked Thor very much, and thought that Thor had similar feelings about her. Thor actually had had similar feelings about Jane, which is why Jane was quite surprised to see Thor staring passionately into the eyes of another woman.

Before setting foot outside of the ambulance, Jane was nervous, anxious, and excited. Whenever Jane was called to help someone, there was not another thing on her mind until the situation was resolved. This case had been no exception. Jane was sweating and trembling, yet she remained calm enough to handle the situation. Jane always feared arriving at the scene of an accident or injury too late and failing to save whatever lives were in jeopardy. She always feared that she would do something wrong and accidentally kill the person she was trying to help. Perhaps she would forget _how_ to help the person or not finish whatever procedure she had to perform in time. This is why Jane always tried to keep her attention entirely focused on the situation at hand whenever someone needed medical aid. She found that being nervous actually helped her to remain focused. Jane had read in a magazine once that flow of adrenaline and stress are actually benefactors when one is trying to handle a serious or complicated situation. On this seemingly typical Saturday morning, she was prepared to leap out of the ambulance and immediately rush to the aid of the elderly man whose life was on the line. Unfortunately, seeing Thor with Wasp at the café was completely unexpected.

Jane's feet, which were running at the speed of light, came to an abrupt halt as soon as she saw the face of the mighty Asgardian at the same table as another woman. That woman was Wasp, one of the founding Avengers. Jane knew that she had to remain focused. She couldn't let that man down, but she literally could not move. Jane felt her body paralyzed by her feelings. How could Thor do this? Jane felt betrayed. Suddenly, the elderly man whose life was on the line seemed so trivial, so insignificant. That man in distress melted right out of Jane's mind and Thor took the center stage. The voices of Jane's partner paramedics calling her to come to their aid were barely audible. She could hear a faint trace of irritation in those voices, but her brain didn't register this irritation, just like it didn't register the fact that she was needed. Her coworkers didn't waste much time calling her. They had a man to save, and they proceeded to do just that, with or without Jane.

Jane, notably less feminine than most women she knew yet still possessing a soft, sweet side, always tried to suppress her emotional personality while on duty. Usually, the only Jane Foster available during Jane's shift was the stern, confident, slightly-nervous, science-minded Jane. However, Thor had the power to bring out the emotional Jane, who was quite complicated and actually very temperamental, as well as fickle. Jane's feeling of shock quickly transformed into a feeling of sadness, which took only seconds to shift into a feeling of anger. Honestly, she did not know exactly what to think. Luckily, just as Bruce Banner helps to balance the Hulk's different moods and personalities, the science-minded Jane managed to restore Jane's mobility and ability to think and speak properly. However, she had forgotten all about the dying elderly man. Jane's confidence and courageousness walked her feet right over to Thor's table.

"Thor?" Jane asked.

Thor snapped out of his daze, seemingly startled, yet obviously had not realized just how upset Jane was.

"Jane, it's a pleasure to see you here."

"What are you doing here, with her?"

"Oh. I…ummm…well…errrr….emmmm…I was just…providing friend Wasp with comfort."

"Comfort? What about…"

Suddenly a large blue beam charged out of nowhere. It was directed at Jane.

"Jane!" Thor yelled as he pushed her out of the way in time to be hit by the beam himself. Fortunately, Thor was much too mighty to be harmed by a single, simple beam.

Thor, Wasp, Jane, and the other people eating at the café glared up at the man who had shot the beam, the invincible Iron Man!

"Iron Man? What are you doing?" Thor asked.

Iron Man did not, could not, respond. Instead, he fired another large blue uni-beam from his chest.


End file.
